EPA to Georgia: Clean up soot

EPA to Georgia: Clean up soot
Stacy Shelton - Staff
Wednesday, June 30, 2004

More than 30 Georgia counties have too much soot in the air, raising the prospect of
tighter controls on power plants and heavy industries, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency reported Tuesday.

Most of the counties --- 24 --- are in and around metro Atlanta.

The list is longer than state officials had recommended. The federal agency added eight
counties to the state's list, including Putnam County northeast of Macon because it's
home to a Georgia Power plant.

Nationally, the EPA said 243 counties failed a new standard. Nearly all are in the East
and clustered around metropolitan areas dominated by heavy industries, road-clogging
traffic and coal-fired power plants.

This is the first time the EPA is regulating soot, the second air pollutant to be regulated
by the federal government. For more than a decade, air quality officials have focused on
ground-level ozone, a colorless gas that contributes to smog during hot summer months.

Particulate matter, or particle smog, is much more dangerous than ozone, public health
and environmental officials say. Ozone can trigger asthma attacks, but fine particles can
lodge deep in the lungs and move into the bloodstream, causing premature deaths,
cardiovascular problems and respiratory illnesses.

Also, unlike ozone, soot can pose a problem for indoor air. And particulate matter is a
problem year-round, not just in warm weather.

EPA Administrator Michael Leavitt said Tuesday that "reducing fine particles is the
single most important action we can take to make our air healthier for Americans."

Georgia and the other states will have a chance to argue to reduce the number of counties
included on the list. The standard, which measures emissions smaller than one-thirtieth
the diameter of a human hair, will become final in mid-November.

Jerry Johnson, an air pollution regulator with the state Environmental Protection Division,
said the state will review the EPA's findings before deciding what course to take.

"We need to look at [EPA's] rationale and then we can decide if we agree if [their list is]
appropriate or not," Johnson said.

The state could conduct additional research to bolster its shorter list of counties.

Scientists still are trying to determine what causes fine particles to form --- and how to reduce them. Only some of the particles are directly emitted into the air, in soot from fires and dust from mining and farming, Johnson said. A significant portion is formed by a combination of pollutants from cars, smokestacks and even trees.

The Georgia counties are on the list because they exceed the acceptable annual average for soot.

Starting early next year, Georgia will have three years to come up with a plan to reduce particle pollution, and could have until 2014 to meet the federal benchmark. EPA has not yet determined what will happen if the state can't meet the deadlines. But when metro Atlanta failed to meet a deadline under the ozone regulations, the region was forced to shift road-building money into transit projects.

Some actions already have been taken by the state and federal regulators to reduce particle smog. Gas stations in a 45-county area in and around metro Atlanta since May have been required to sell the lowest-sulfur gas available, which helps reduce both ground-level ozone and particle smog. Controls at Georgia Power plants have also helped reduce both.

In 2007, federal regulations will begin requiring cleaner diesel fuel, along with more efficient engines to burn it. Other particle-reducing steps could include additional controls on power plants and heavy industries, Johnson said.

Steve Ewald, who works on regulatory issues for Georgia Power, said the levels of particle pollution are falling in the state. The utility has been reluctant to invest in major renovations of its plants until hard science shows how they will benefit the air and human health. "This is all very new science," Ewald said. "It's very new regulations and guidance from the EPA, so we're all just speculating."

Anne Gilliam with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in Atlanta said the clean air advocacy group was disappointed in the state's recommendations, which left off many counties it felt ought to be included. "In general, we are excited that the EPA stood up to the state and recommended more areas," she said.

Other Georgia cities on the EPA's list were Athens, Columbus and Macon. Some other Southern cities included were Birmingham, Chattanooga, Louisville, Ky., and Greensboro, N.C.